A few weeks ago, I posted about that tearjerker of a commercial— the #likeagirl ad campaign for Always. If you haven't seen it yet (because you've fallen in a sinkhole and were just recently rescued or something), go watch it now.
In response, people posted hundreds of photos on my fanpage of their badass daugthers climbing, throwing, racing #likeagirl. But there were other photos too. Photos of little boys playing house, wearing princess dresses, vacuuming the living room #likeaboy.
I know #likeaboy doesn't exactly have the same connotation as #likeagirl because the point of the original commerical was that we need to turn #likeagirl from a bad thing into a good thing. But when boys partake in so called "girl activities" it shouldn't be looked upon negatively either. It's important to praise boys for being sensitive and nurturing, just like we praise girls for being strong.
As a reader named Tiffany commented, "There needs to be a male counterpoint about #manningup. I'm so tired of hearing people tell my son what he can and cannot play with because it's not boy enough. When he was two-years-old, he fell in love with a stick unicorn. It was a soft plush toy with a big honking sparkly horn. I bought it for him immediately. I remember him walking around with his prize possession and people stopping me to say that letting him play with 'girlie toys' will make him gay. First off, who the hell cares. Second, he was two. He had no clue of gender roles and what's appropriate for a boy. He just liked what he liked. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a man tell my sensitive little guy to 'man up', as if having emotions is only a female thing."
It's also interesting to realize how much we as parents determine what our kids play with. I noticed Mazzy always beelining for the matchbox cars at her friend Charlie's house before I realized she needed her own set.
Kids are kids. Most like to try new things and don't think along gender lines. We shouldn't either.
Here are 42 awesome photos of little boys showing off their sparkles, their nurturing side, and their housekeeping abilities. Kudos to all the parents who are most proud of their kids when they are acting like themselves.
Having a tea party #likeaboy:
Baking a cake #likeaboy:
Trying on heels #likeaboy:
Meeting Cinderella for the first time #likeaboy:
Taking Ernie for a stroll #likeaboy:
Babywearing #likeaboy:
Accessorizing with feathers #likeaboy:
Getting your nails done #likeaboy:
Taking ballet class #likeaboy:
Feeling regal #likeaboy:
Feeding the baby #likeaboy:
Showing off a maniucre #likeaboy:
Helping big sis with the doll pram #likeaboy:
Walking a flamingo #likeaboy:
Rocking a Snow White costume #likeaboy:
Feeding teddy #likeaboy:
Choosing two red bows at Build-a-Bear #likeaboy:
Wearing pink #likeaboy:
Painting his own toenails #likeaboy:
Cleaning house #likeaboy:
Layering necklaces #likeaboy:
Frosting cookies #likeaboy:
Watching Frozen #likeaboy:
Wearing wings to meet Tinkerbell #likeaboy:
Carrying a purse #likeaboy:
Tucking in his babies #likeaboy:
Swiffering the floor #likeaboy:
Playing with Barbies #likeaboy:
Modeling a nightgown #likeaboy:
Playing My Little Pony #likeaboy:
Carrying his baby out to the car #likeaboy:
Testing out mom's breast pump #likeaboy:
Trying on Mom's bra #likeaboy:
Trying on jewelry #likeaboy:
Rockin' polka dots #likeaboy:
Being nuturing #likeaboy:
Blowing on nails to make them dry #likeaboy:
Wearing a tutu #likeaboy:
Kissing goodbye #likeaboy:
Making funny faces #likeagirl #likeaboy #likeakid:
Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures on the Mommy Shorts fanpage and the Baby Sideburns fanpage!
Here's to kids being kids.
Love this!
These are wonderful.
This is awesome! I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and he is ALWAYS wanting me to paint his nails and things of that sort. (never did though his dad would kill me) I do let him wear his sisters bows and tutus around the house though. He loves playing daddy to dolls and stuffed animals, but at the end of the day he is still my BOY. My dirty rough and tumble BOY. I do believe that letting them play without them only having the MALE role in something develops their sensitivity and makes them better men!!
As a mom of a boy, I love this. Holy cow, do I love this.
To the mom of the boy painting his toes green on the white carpet- SO BRAVE!! lol, I would fear the stains. :p
And to the little boy showing off the pink princess night gown- You are killing it! Rock on, with your bad self.
I tech kindergarten and it’s amazing how many of them already have the girls do this and boys do that mentality. I always pick books with crossed traditional roles to teach them that it doesn’t matter if your a boy or girl. You just need to be a good person. I have also replaced “man up” with my kids with “shake it off” when they are hurt. I noticed them not saying gender biased things by mid year. It was awesome.
I think my favorite picture out of all of these is the dad with the blue toes painting his son’s fingers red. that is parenting done right.
My son is 13 months old and he loves cuddling his babies. speaking of which i think he is up from nap so time to play #likeamommy.
I love this! Last year, when my stepson was three, he was the ring bearer in his aunts wedding. The second the music turned on he danced and danced until we had to leave. When we dropped him off with his grandfather (on his mothers side) we told him how my stepson had danced and how cute it was and the stupid man said “Real men don’t dance” I was SO livid! Not only do women LOVE men who can dance, but it was such a backwards thing to say to a little boy who could be easily influenced.
This is perfect! Let’s let our kids be KIDS!
My 3 year old son is always begging me to paint his toenails “one pink, one purple.” We had a pedicure date with two of his favorite little girl friends and the older one (5) didn’t bat an eye or make one comment about painting toys being only for girls. My son even asked for sparkles when he saw me putting them on his friend’s toes, and I obliged. 5 minutes later both boys and girls were playing happily with trucks and trains.
My husband kind of rolled his eyes and grumbled a bit when he saw the purple toes but he dutifully complimented our son on his pretty toes. I would never tell my little girl she can’t play with a truck or a soccer ball because she’s a girl, why would I do that to my son?
My 11 y/o brother loves his long hair, painting his nails orange (or red or blue or whatever), and taking ballet classes. He also loves going out in my Jeep, getting muddy, and wearing board shoes. I can only hope my 19 m/o son grows up so confident. #justbeingkids
“Shake it off” is our favorite phrase around here as well!
My “boys” are now 25 & 22 and they both played with the Easy Bake Oven, the Little Tykes kitchenette, Cabbage Patch kids and other dolls, had their nails painted. My older son took ballet lessons until he was in 7th grade (and then parlayed that into a fun community theater career) and was a member of the Dance Team in highschool (along with the more traditional boy scouts and team sports activities). Both have grown into highly successful and happy adults and, I’d like to think, good feminists.
These all look like amazing little boys! What great parents they have to let them be themselves and play like kids!
My son has gone through phases of wanting a barbie because there were no girls to hang out with his “guys” to wanting a doll that he could dress in outfits and change diapers. Why should boys be excluded from such curiosity.
Currently at age 8, he hates all things girly. I assume that will pass too.
It’s a little crazy for any boy or girl to be told they were playing with the wrong thing.
There are Ipads, phones, tablets, video games and other countless distractions. Lets encourage all free play and imagination!
love it, thanks!
(as a mom of a boy who loved to play with the ‘my little ponies’ in pre-K, even though one of his friends told him he couldn’t play MLP with her because he was a boy…)
he also loves his beaded necklaces.
Well… Girls do have way cooler things than boys so why wouldn’t boys want to play with them too! Some day they will make awesome daddy’s and will know how to play with their daughters… And girls don’t always want to be “girlie” so why can’t they do the things that boys do and dress the way boys dress… there are times to dress up and time when you don’t. Let kids be kids and become well rounded adults and stop categorizing them them because of how they dress or play with or act.
Both of my boys do “kid” things and both try to be like both mommy and daddy. I love it! And these little boys made my heart melt!
In our house growing up it was the gender neutral, “Rub some dirt in it!” But that’s because we’re baseball fans.
Now people always assume my husband is the baseball fan dragging me to games, or that I’m driving my husband’s jeep with the top off in the summer, when it’s the exact opposite!
Some of these really touched my heart! As a mom of a little boy who likes to play kitchen, vacuum, push his dolls in a stroller etc etc – he does these things because that is what Daddy does! Our generation is raising strong young men who will grow up to be supportive and caring husbands and fathers 🙂
LOVE this … when Chelsea was 4, she had a best friend Matthew. I was really good friends with his Mom. Matthew would paint his nails at our house, wear her pink slippers and play dress up. Chelsea preferred Thomas the tank over her dolls house. Matthew’s dad did not like him coming over to play ‘like a girl.’
Ironically, there was no one I disliked going out to dinner with more than Matthew’s dad … go figure.
I got into a “discussion” with my brother’s in laws who inferred I was going feminise my son when we got him a baby doll and stroller age 18 months when I was expecting his sister. Because when Daddy’s not at work who do you think pushes my kids in their stroller? Yeah, Daddy. So who does my son want to be like? His fantastic father who works hard, cooks, watches sport, irons, plays soccer in the mud and dolls house with girlie while wearing a tiara. My son is now five and a great big brother to his sister and baby brother. His school recently commented how kind he is to kids in his class who struggle with things he doesn’t. If that is “feminising” then so be it. But I think it is being a real man and I think he’s great.
my almost 3 year old son has his own anna dress. he and my daughter run around pretending to be anna and elsa. it super cute
I just loved seeing all these little guys in their finest 🙂 They are all going to turn out to be amazing young men, husbands and fathers.
Thank you for featuring my man, CEOJack of http://www.babyjackblankets.com
The only shock I had looking at these photos was: OH MY GOD!! Those kids are using nail polish on that CLEAN LIGHT COLORED carpet!! Now THAT’S a brave parent!!
Love these! And loved all the #likeagirl photos too! I have a girl & a boy who are only 16 1/2 months apart. The only time we ever distinguish a toy as “his” or “hers” is with the special lovies. And on a daily basis, they will both go from playing trains to babies to trucks to princesses.
Thank you. I have a dress and skirt wearing, baby feeding, sweeping and cooking boy – it does my heart good to see sonmany others!
My favorite is the baby wearing boy. I know a couple of tween and teen boys who wear their baby siblings, baby loving boys rock and grow up to be good daddies.
My son baby wears Elmo! He asked me to wrap him up for him. I guess he picked it up at school or remembers being worn
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/the-likeaboy-movement-celebrates-the-sensitive-side-of-boys
You made it on buzzfeed with this!
This is absolutely beautiful. I am 20 years old and don’t think that kids are in the very near future for me but I hope I am half as great at parenting when I do feel ready to have them!
I loved it so much it made me cry. I hope one day we’ll all live without so many gender role related obligations. These parents and these kids rock!
Thank you so very much for this! My three-year-old loves dinos and transformers, but he also loves My Little Pony, and also has a baby doll. We know that we are raising a boy to love what he loves, and not be afraid to be himself. Thanks to people like you, and the lovely people who have submitted pictures, we know that we are not the only parents who take on such an approach.
Thank you, youre amazing 🙂
That’s so sad, but not as bad as my husband. When he found out I painted our 9 yr old son’s nails dark purple, he blew up at me and forbade it ever again. He said it was setting him up to be made fun of and it would be my fault that his life would be wrecked for teaching him to be different. 🙁 But he tells our daughter she can do anything she wants!
Please repost/highlight this on Facebook or something- #likeaboy is get a bad rep after some insecure men were offended by the #likeagirl super bowl ad 🙁
Oh no- what were the negative comments?
[…] 1. After MommyShorts blogger Ilana Wiles wrote about the recent #likeagirl campaign from feminine hygiene company Always, her Facebook became inundated with parents sharing pictures of girls being tough. But there were other pictures too, she writes. […]
[…] 1. After MommyShorts blogger Ilana Wiles wrote about the recent #likeagirl campaign from feminine hygiene company Always, her Facebook became inundated with parents sharing pictures of girls being tough. But there were other pictures too, she writes. […]
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